Dec 21, 2011

Beard Bet...It just got serious folks.

Graphic by Eddie "Emcee Phi" Nguyen

On December 30th Brock Lesnar will make his much anticipated return to the UFC octagon. "The Next Big Thing," as he was known in the WWE, will be fighting for the first time since undergoing surgery that removed 12 inches of his intestines. He will be taking on Alistair Overeem, who will be making his long-awaited UFC debut. The 2010 K1 Grand Prix champion will take on Lesnar in a five round fight to determine the next contender for Junior Dos Santos's heavyweight title.Given this main event, UFC 141 will likely be one of the biggest pay per views of the year.

If this fight wasn't big enough, DJ Mark with a "K" and I, Doctor Law, decided to raise the stakes with a beard bet. This comes down to both of us backing guys that we feel do not get enough respect. It breaks down like this: I believe Brock Lesnar is unfairly being continually crapped on by the hardcore MMA fanbase. They don't like that he's a former pro wrestler, the type of fans he brings to MMA, and that he has was given a shot at the title after only 3 professional fights. These fans fail to recognize just how truly bad ass Brock Lesnar is. They tend to overlook that he is a former national champion wrestler. Also, the man deserves some serious credit for taking on such a tough opponent after such a long layoff (combined with a serious surgery).

Alistair Overeem, on the other hand deals with a lack of recognition from the common fan, the wide-spread belief that he is on steroids and perception that he only fights scrubs. DJ Mark will tell you that Overeem has arguably been the best heavyweight in the world for years. Also, while Alistair has not faced the best competition in the world yet, his skills cannot be denied given the way he destroys all of his opponents. (DJ Mark and I both have no comment on the steroid accusations).

Let's be real people, the most important part of this fight is the beard bet. I will be betting my beautiful black beard against the glorified peach fuzz that DJ Mark has on his face. Defending my honor will be the former NCAA, WWE (still counts) and UFC champion, Brock Lesnar while the former K1, Dream and Strikeforce champion will be defending DJ Mark's right to pay some sort of pitiful homage to Guy Fawlkes. It's time for these two men to reward us for our faith in them. It's very simple: if Mr. Lesnar wins, I keep my beard and if he loses, America weeps.

The stakes have never been higher people. Being the #1 contender is secondary to the true prize up for grabs on December 30. I don't like losing and I especially don't like looking like a 16 year old fat kid. Here's hoping Brock doesn't let me down.